"Without the overseas experiences, I couldn't have such a deep understanding of China's development," said Cao, adding that thanks to the reform and opening-up policy, the business environment in China is improving and the market is becoming increasingly dynamic.

In 2000, Cao returned to Wenzhou and established a company with activities in real estate, international trade, catering, entertainment and leisure. "Our company provides nearly 1,000 jobs for local residents and so far has paid taxes of over 100 million yuan ($14.53 million)," said the entrepreneur.

Besides developing his own businesses, Cao is also working to unite overseas Chinese people and encourage them to make contributions to international exchanges and cooperation. In 2013, he was elected to be the chairman of the Wenzhou Association of Chinese Entrepreneurs and began to assume more social responsibilities.